Write about a character who’s always thinking of things they’ll say to people, but who ends up saying very little when they finally get the chance.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 219 stories

“Take This Job and Shove It” by Ben To

Submitted to Contest #76

"If he tells me I can't drink coffee at work again, you know what I'm gonna tell him?""No, what?""I'm gonna tell him to take this job and shove it! That's what!""Mmm... sure you will."Dylan scratched at his long, fiery beard in irritation. "Just give me a five-sixteenths already." Dylan snatched the nut-driver from the shop assistant and stormed out of the garage. It was ridiculous! He put in seventy hours a week at this trash job and now they wouldn't even give him a ten minute coffee break. It was cold, and starting to snow when ...

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“Noisy but silent” by Joane Unknown

Submitted to Contest #76

The “Noisy but silent” case was one of my hardest cases since I got my job as a detective. I was a new detective, and this case hit me harder than a train with no brakes. I was 25 years old when I became a detective. My boss didn’t like me from the start and he gave me one of the most complicated cases he had, even if, before that, I had two easy cases. The case seemed not to be complicated when me and my five work colleagues started but it got harder and harder when we tried to discover who was the victim and who was the ...

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“Speaking Out Loud” by Regina Morrison

Submitted to Contest #76

“You don’t say much, do you?” He sat on the edge of the hospital bed and smiled politely at the efficient looking nurse, who stood clipboard in hand at the foot of the bed. “Alright, Mr…” She flipped the pages back, “Mr Grey, the doctor will be along in a couple of minutes to go over some things with you.” He smiled again. The nurse clicked away and soon he heard her friendly voice buttering up another tremorous patient. Idiot! Where was all the nice polite and friendly chit-chat? Man alive. And she was pretty too and...

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“New Haircut” by Eryn Humphrey

Submitted to Contest #76

The scissors felt heavier The scissors felt heavier and heavier the farther up I pulled them. I grabbed a chunk of my freshly-straightened hair, and then stopped moving. I forced my head up, using the mirror to look myself in the eyes. My eyes went from their own reflection to my hair. My dark brown locks looked odd without their natural curliness. Normally, my hair reached my lower back. Straightened, it reaches my knees. I took a deep breath. Not for long. The sharpened scissors, that had retreated back down due to limp arms and sha...

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“Aftermath of Overthinking” by Leilani Lindley

Submitted to Contest #76

‘You can suffocate a thought by expressing it with too many words,’ a quote by Frank A Clark. Even the most complex thoughts and emotions could never be matched by simple words. Metaphors and similes can only go so far in this world of literature. I wish I could be mysterious with every sentence of mine to contain hidden meaning, or would that be too much? Too intimidating? Or not enough, and not reach the expectations of others? Or perhaps, I’ve over thought about this once again. My thoughts o...

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“Everything I Left Unsaid ” by Noelle Bradley🌼

Submitted to Contest #76

Author’s Note: (Warning: this may hit home, or hit deep with some people.) Hey, there readers, this story is a little on the dark side, it brings light to depression, anxiety, and how what you do can really affect people. Just know that if you are suffering, you aren't suffering alone. If someone you know is suffering, don’t let them do it alone, help them. Whether you help them through it yourself or let someone know who can help, you are showing them that you care, and in many cases that can save lives. I did try my best to leave things no...

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“Tongue Tied ” by Sarah El Dhaibi

Submitted to Contest #76

My heart raced as I stood, my back resting against the chipped wall, watching my mother stand over the poor rigid creature who had been paralysed for the last few horrific days. The room was ice cold as my mother began pacing around the room, her eyes still glued to the thing that lay underneath her defeatedly. I began shivering uncontrollably as my lungs began to burn from the cold.Mother had warned me not to utter a word in front of the creature disguised as a girl. She referred to her as a beast, but I knew better. As a young girl, I’d al...

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“Blake: The Speech Therapy Dog” by Puhalenthi Ramesh Vidhya

Submitted to Contest #76

His parents were worried. Jake has been arriving home from school with bruises everywhere. Scratch marks on his knees and elbows were common; blackeyes too. But the boy never complained. The only words he told his parents after arriving home were, "I fell". After the phrase came out of his mouth, he threw his backpack on the couch and ran up the stairs, and slammed his bedroom doors shut. Whenever the parents pressed their ears on the boy's door, they heard wailing. The boy threw the book across the room to the door when the parents ask p...

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“Everything good” by Stephanie Xu

Submitted to Contest #76

The sky was red. Nothing good ever comes out on days when the sky is red. Kyle ran his fingers down the railing of the stairs as he flew down to the basement. Too many steps to take and not enough time to take those steps. Scrambling past all the people in the subway station, he zoomed his way into the train with seconds to spare. The chiming of doors closing rang in his ears. He had time. Of course he had time. The truth was that he didn’t, but he needed his self muttering to convince himself that he did. The train took its time, sto...

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“Wordless Psyche” by Diana Reyes

Submitted to Contest #76

"You better put this earrings! This really suit your almond eyes!" she exclaimed as she handed me the long sparkling diamond earring. I did not even got a chance to speak for she immediately turned her back and fixed herself in the mirror, which left me nodding furtively half-heartred. I was currently choosing between an orange or nude lipstick that will suit my simple yet elegant dress. I do not really put heavy make ups, it was really not my thing. I can even go a day without it, a powder and my mannerism of biting my lips will sometimes d...

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“The Real Waiting Game” by Carole Cobos

Submitted to Contest #76

Trigger warning: abuse I’ve played this game many times before. It goes like this: If the teacher asks me about my day I will tell her the truth. But I lie. If she notices the bruise under my chin I will tell her how I got it. I lie again. If I make a friend who likes me and will stick by me, I will confide in her or him that my home life isn't as it should be. His name is Noah and we always hang out at the mall or his house. If my PE teacher notices my limp, I will tell him how I got i...

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“Beautiful Maire” by Emma Taylor

Submitted to Contest #76

Marie sits in front of the mirror, her reflection beaming back at her. Tomorrow is a big day. Lucy has invited her out with Martin’s friend. It is a perfect opportunity to mingle and maybe even meet someone. Her fingers pat the top of her head and follow her hair to its end. Imagine if she was blonde and not a cross between a chocolate brown and a bunt umber, and if the sun tinted her skin in shades of amber and not bleached her pink. She traces her lips, her pinky finger rubbing the rims of her mouth. So thin and flat—hardly inviting. She...

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“Home Front” by Gloria Opadokun

Submitted to Contest #76

I have lived in my head for as long as I know. In my head, I am fearless and strong and not being yelled at, or forced to do things I do not want to do. There's a universe in my head and in it, I'm pretty awesome. There was enough love in that universe too, love that builds up others and doesn't tear them down. There's heartbreak in my world too, but you heal to come out stronger and tougher, but there's always love. Maybe Dad has a favorite among us girls and I'm his least, but in my world, I wouldn't be needing anyone's love, because I'v...

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“The Silent Conversation” by Philip Bradbury

Submitted to Contest #76

If he took the A Train, he couldn’t take the B Train. If he left now he couldn’t leave later … or earlier. If he wore his black trousers he couldn’t wear his camouflage pants. If he stopped to talk to the old lady next door, she might chat too long and he’d miss out on seeing the glamorous girl round the corner … not that he’d ever talked to her but, if she was there, he might get the courage to say something. But he hadn’t had the gumption to say anything the last twenty times he’d passed her by so wondered if it’d be different this time. T...

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“The Story of Ralph Biggins” by Liv F

Submitted to Contest #76

Warning: This story contains themes about suicide. Ralph Biggins woke in a cold sweat, convulsing uncontrollably, gasping for air, petrified he was about to choke. Not here, not like this, he begged the universe, struggling to breathe. In a few short hours, morning would come and steal another part of his life away. He would have to confront his corporate prison. And he would have to confront Her. ****** She was menacing, condescending and deplorable. She never said a nice word about anyone, unless it profited her situation. She wanted...

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Write about a character who’s always thinking of things they’ll say to people, but who ends up saying very little when they finally get the chance.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 219 stories

“Take This Job and Shove It” by Ben To

“Noisy but silent” by Joane Unknown

“Speaking Out Loud” by Regina Morrison

“New Haircut” by Eryn Humphrey

“Aftermath of Overthinking” by Leilani Lindley

“Everything I Left Unsaid ” by Noelle Bradley🌼

“Tongue Tied ” by Sarah El Dhaibi

“Blake: The Speech Therapy Dog” by Puhalenthi Ramesh Vidhya

“Everything good” by Stephanie Xu

“Wordless Psyche” by Diana Reyes

“The Real Waiting Game” by Carole Cobos

“Beautiful Maire” by Emma Taylor

“Home Front” by Gloria Opadokun

“The Silent Conversation” by Philip Bradbury

“The Story of Ralph Biggins” by Liv F

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story told exclusively through dialogue.

Write about two people who just can’t seem to understand each other, no matter how clearly they think they’re speaking.

Write about a character who is incapable of telling even the smallest lie or half-truth.

Write a conversation that takes place between two people who refuse to say what they mean.

Contest #76

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

787

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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